Khan welcomed Inzamam's acquittal and dismissed the International Cricket Council (ICC) decision to ban Inzamam for four matches on a charge of bringing the game into disrepute after the Oval Test fiasco last month.

"I welcome the acquittal of Inzamam and the team of ball tampering charges. Pakistan have been cleared of very serious allegations of cheating," Khan told AFP.

"The other offence is quite minor and I think the punishment is also minor."

Pakistan forfeited the fourth Test at The Oval after refusing to take the field after tea on the fourth day in protest at the decision of umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove to penalise them five runs for ball-tampering.

Khan, who branded Hair a "mini-Hitler" in a newspaper column after the Oval Test, added: "Now the next question is what to do with the man who created the whole controversy at the first place.

"If Inzamam is cleared of ball tampering allegations, now clearly some sort of action should be taken against the man who was responsible for such serious allegations.

"That allegation caused the big incident where Pakistan ended up forefeiting the match."

Former Pakistan captain Ramuz Raja agreed that the ICC needed to take action against the umpire.

"The ICC need to pull up their socks and take a firm decision now on Darrell Hair," he said, adding that he thought Pakistan should appeal against the verdict.

"Pakistan's lawyers now would be arguing that if he was not guilty of ball tampering, why has he been handed out a four-match ban punishment? I think this case is not over yet and Pakistan should contest this decision agressively because they are in the right."

Meanwhile, another Pakistan legend Wasim Akram said captain Inzamam must automatically be cleared of bringing the game into disrepute if charges of ball tampering do not stick, Pakistan legend said Thursday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will act unfairly if it bans Inzamam just to protect the players' code of conduct, former fast bowler Akram said of a two-day hearing which started in London on Wednesday.

"I strongly feel that the ICC and the umpires will not be able to prove ball-tampering charges against the Pakistan team and since Pakistan's protest was linked to the accusation of tampering they should not ban Inzamam," Akram told AFP.

"I think the ICC will try to have the upper hand and would ban Inzamam to safeguard their code of conduct, but it would be hugely unfair."

Inzamam, 36, is answering disciplinary charges of ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute after Pakistan refused to take the field in the fourth Test against England at the Oval last month.

Pakistan protested after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised them five runs for ball tampering. The team was judged to have forfeited the game, the first such case in Test history.

Inzamam faces a big fine and a ban of several matches.

Wasim, 40, said that an unfavourable verdict would be "debatable and one that could be taken to a court of law."

"I would not have waited and would have taken the ICC and umpire Hair to court," he said, adding that his Birmingham-based lawyers were in contact with Inzamam for such an action.

Wasim said a ban on Inzamam would spoil Pakistan's chances of winning the ICC Champions Trophy in India, where the competition begins next month.

"Under Inzamam the team has shown great unity and it's bad to miss your most inspirational figure," he said.

"It would be a huge loss for Pakistan and I hope the Pakistan Cricket Board have done their homework in case Inzamam is banned. They should take a stay order and let the ban be enforced after the trophy," said Wasim.

The former paceman, with 414 Test and a world record 502 one-day wickets, reiterated that controversial Australian Hair should also be penalised for his role in the saga.

Wasim said he feared that it would not be the last time that Pakistan had to defend themselves against tampering charges.

"When Pakistan is involved, everyone sees it as a big issue. We have been accused of tampering since 1992 and this Oval incident won't be the last time," said Wasim, who along with Waqar Younis was accused of tampering on Pakistan's tour of England in 1992 -- the first time tampering charges attained publicity.

"I sincerely hope Pakistan come out clean," he said.